Adjustable broom band or clasp



(No Model.)

A. W. OTTIGNON.

ADJUSTABLE BROOM BAND 0R CLASP. No. 406,850. Patented July 9, 1889.

F Eil. F' FgiZL N PETERS. PhhiuLiihngr-Iphfl, Waihinglan. u. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUs' US \V. O'FIGNON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE BROOM BAND OR CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,850, dated July 9, 1889.

Application filed March 15, 1889. Serial No. 303,469. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that T, AUGUSTUS W. OTTIoNoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Adjustable llroom Bands or Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn broom having my improved adj ustablc band or clasp applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the band-supporting rod detached from the broom, illustrating the construction of the self adjusting springelamp at the upper end of said supportingrod and the band-holding device formed at the lower end of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line a .00 of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to certain improvements in broom bands or clasps which are adapted to be placed around corn brooms to confine and strengthen their fibers and prevent the broom from unduly spreading at its bottom when in use; and my invention has for its object to improve the construction of bands or clasps of this description, whereby they are rendered more easily adjustable upon the broom in the direction of its length than heretofore, and also enabled to be readily tightened or loosened to confine the fibers of the broom more or less closely, as may be found desirable.

To this end my invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter set forth and specifically claimed.

In the said drawings, A represents an ordinary corn broom, and Z) the handle thereof.

0 is a band or clasp, composed of webbing, stout cloth, or other suitable material, which is adapted to encompass or encircle thebroom at any suitable distance from its lower end for the purpose of confining and strengthening the fibers and preventing them from spreading apart when the broom is in use, thereby increasing its durability and enabling it to permanently retainits proper shape. This band C is supported and held at the desired distance from the bottom of the broom by a rod or wire I), which extends up on one side of the broom, in line with the center thereof, as seen in Fig. 1. The rod ID is provided at its upper end with a self-adj nsting spring-clamp G, which consists of two loops or rings 0 (1 formed in the same piece with the rod D, and arranged at or nearly at a right angle with each other, as seen in Fig. 2, the wire being bent to form a spring-coil 6, immediately beneath the upper loop 0, to give an additional spring-pressure thereto when upon the broom-handle hen the spring-clamp G is to be placed upon the broom-handle Z), the rings or loops 0 (Z are pressed toward each other against their spring-resistance to enable them to be easily slipped over the handle, after which their tendency to separate from each other will cause them to exert a strong pressure in opposite directions against the handle on which they bind tightly, thus holding the rod 1) securely in position; and it willbe obvious that a clamp constructed as described will readily adjust itself to fit handles of either large or small diameter, the rings being made of sufficient size to pass over the largest handle usually made. NVhen it is desired to slide the rod D up or down upon the handle to vary the position of the band C upon the broom to render it more or less rigid or stiff, it is merely necessary to press the rings 0 d slightly toward each other, when the clamp can be easily slid up or down, as required, upon the handle, and on being released will instantly clamp itself in position as desired, no thumbscrew or other auxiliary device being required. Great simplicity and ease of adj ustment are thus secured, while the entire clamp, being formed of a single piece of wire, can be made at a trifling expense. Furthermore, there are no separate parts to fall out and become lost, which is an important consideration.

The band or clasp O which encircles the broom is adjustably secured to the lower end of its supporting-rod D in the following man.- ner: The lower end of the rod 1) is bent to form a rectangular loop H, to the upper bar or portion f of which is loosely pivoted a swinging bar g, the lowerfree end 10 of which extends down below the bottom bar 12 of the loop H. To one of the sides h of the loop H is permanently secured, by cement, sewing, or otherwise, one end of the band C, the opposite end of which passes over the other side bar '5 of the loop, and is then doubled backward under itself, over and around the swinging bar g, and again over the bar 01, as seen in Fig. 3, by which construction the draft or pull on the band will draw the bar 9 up toward the bar i, thus causing the end of the band to be firmly wedged or clamped between away from the bottom bar of the loop H, when the band can be readily drawn in either direction to increase or diminish the effective length of the said band, and as the bottom of the broom wears away the band C can be easily drawn up, as required,by simply pressing together the rings of the clamp G and sliding it up on the broom-handle, as previously described.

If desired, the broom-encircling band or clasp may consist of a piece of thin sheet metal, or of one or more pieces of wire, in which case the metal band or wire may be Secured in any suitable manner to the lower end of the supporting-rod D.

lrVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with abroom-encirclin g band or clasp, of the supporting-rod D, secured thereto and provided at its upper end with an adjustable spring-clamp G, composed of two loops or rings 0 01, formed in the same piece with said rod, and adapted to encircle the broom-handle at an angle to each other and exert a pressure thereon in opposite directions, whereby the rod is held securely in place when adjusted, substantially as set forth.

2. The supporting-rod D, provided at its upper end with a fastening device for securing it to the broom-handle, and having at its lower end a band-holder consisting of a loop H, formed in the same piecewith the rod D, and having a swinging bar pivoted at one end to said loop, in combination with the broom-encircling band 0, having one end secured to said loop and its opposite end adj ustably confined between the opposite side of the loop and the swinging bar g, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The broom-band supporting rod D, provided at its upper end with an adjustable spring-clamp G, consisting of the loops or rings 0 d, arranged at an angle to each other, and the spring-coil 6, formed in the same piece with the said rod and rings, substan tially as described.

Witness my hand this 11th day of March, A. D. 1889.

AUGUSTUS W. OTTIGNON.

In presence of P. E. TESCHEMACHER, HARRY W. AIKEN. 

